LUTH gets diagnostic equipment to ease child birth

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba has taken delivery of a 128-Slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner for paediatric imaging. The equipment donated by JNCI (Turnkey Medical Equipment Services) will boost child care in the tertiary hospital.

The scanner, the latest in the CT scanners range, is revolutionising non-invasive diagnosis. The machine can scan the whole body in seconds and provide incredibly sharp 3D images of any organ.

The scanner’s ability to spot small tumours, in a check on the lungs for example, or plaque in the case of cardiovascular disease, makes it the preferred option for diagnosis by doctors worldwide.

The equipment can be used for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The speed and precision of this scanner not only improves the image quality, but also allows experts to look at dynamic processes. Instead of just monitoring changes in tumor size, they can watch the perfusion of a contrast agent as it moves toward, around and through a tumor. This can provide an early view of how a patient is responding to therapy. The 128-Slice CT is one of the most important methods of radiological diagnosis. It delivers non-superimposed, cross-sectional images of the body, which can show smaller contrast differences than conventional X-ray images. This allows better visualisation of specific differently structured soft-tissue regions, for example, which could otherwise not be visualised satisfactorily.

The donour, JNCI said it made the donation so as to help reduce infant deaths. Its representative, JNCI Managing Director, Mrs Clarie Omatseye said the organisation was able to install the machine for advanced diagnostic treatment and studies in LUTH based on the success story recorded at Elkhart General Hospital Radiology Department, Us.

Mrs Omatseye said: “The machine can scan the outer part of the brain, abdomen and cardiac area. This is the most advanced CT in Lagos State at the moment. We were motivated by the passion to diagnose diseases early enough. It does not stop there as the technology has been particularly exciting for studying the beating heart, providing the first clear non-invasive images of the heart and its major vessels. The scans can be timed to use only images gathered between contractions, so that the heart and its vessels can be seen without the blurring caused by motion.’

She assured on its functionality, accessibility and importantly, affordability, “The machine is not disastrous because it has special protocol for children and the radiation is controlled. The cost we will be asking for children is even at half price, there is 50 per cent reduction for all children. Some of our staff will be here to work hand in hand with the hospital staff. We did the installation and we can guarantee that it won’t breakdown, either to power shortage or mishandling.”

“There are three levels of power supply to the machine- the National grid, hospital generator, and dedicated generators to the 128-Slice CT. On-line medical grid UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) i.e 160 KVA with 101 Battery backup are put up. The On-line medical grid will deliver constant online waves, in addition it has internal regulator to checkmate any fluctuation from the hospital generator or from the national grid. That will protect the breakdown that can damage the equipment. The Online Medical grid will help to supply energy to the 128-Slice CT for up to two days should anything happen to any of the three levels or all of the three levels of power supply. That means any patient that is booked for the day can still be attended to. We did this because there were issues with the maintenance of the other CT scan, such as uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and generating set. Besides, we want to make sure that we are 99 per cent on time anytime there is an issue which the CT. The machine could break down from time to time but I hope that LUTH in view of the patients have a great response time,” she said.

Head of Department (HOD), Radio-diagnosis, LUTH, Dr Kofoworola Soyeb, said the JNCI installation of the First 128 slide CT scan in the hospital by JNCI is in order as it coincides with the International Day of Radiology (IDOR) and that will help to reduce infant deaths.

According to her, the Radiology Department is interested in rays that can produce excellently what ordinary eyes cannot see. Moreover, “we now know about how to use contrast to study some part of the body. We are targeting a Low-Dose Centre of Excellence for computed tomography (CT). The scanner will be fully digitalised and the patient image/examination data will be fully integrated in the Hospital’s picture achieving communications system. The 128-slice CT scanner possesses the ability to provide CT angiography and CT cerebral perfusion imaging services. The use of 128- slice CT scanner to diagnose a patient with coronary heart disease can decrease unnecessary admissions to the Hospital and decrease the length of stay for those admitted to the hospital. The scanner will help reduce the number of unnecessary angiography studies.’

Dr Soyebi said: “We are unveiling the CT scan and letting the world know what we are capable of doing. We want to be able to proffer solutions to whatever comes to the Radiology Department. X-ray did not stop at being x-ray, it has always been improving. Now, we have Computerised Tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and others at LUTH.”

Head, LUTH Pediatrics Department, Prof Edamisan Temiye said radio-diagnosis is one of the greatest achievements of medicine.

This, he said, has improved the care and outcome of childhood diseases, adding that imaging can be used for pseudoachondroplasia and rare rhizomes.

Temiye said with this equipment, radiologists are given the direction they should go.

President, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Prof Rasheed Arogundade, said the donation held on International Radiation Day is novel, “event is for remembrance of the discovery of radiology which marked the beginning of medical imaging. The person who discovered the X-ray was not a radiologist so there should be no rivalry among practitioners instead we should all be celebrating. As practitioners, we should work toward the well-being of patients. We should think about patients first.”

Consultant Radiologist, Dr Bukola Omidiji said children are the wealth of the nation.

The parents, she said, would miss a lot of work hours when their children took ill.

Omidiji, who spoke on the Diagnostic Radiologist’s perspective said, pediatric radiology starts from when the child is in the womb of the mother.

“A paediatric radiologist should work with the diagnostic team and the parents of the children. I urged radiologists to assist in the selection of appropriate imaging X-ray. Ultrasound does not give ionizing radiation, so it is the best for the children. The way LUTH radiology department is right now is not too conducive for childcare; there is no dedicated space for children. Some radiology departments play music to engage the children from getting frightened,’ she said.